According to a report by the WSJ, the NASDAQ Stock Market's computer network was repeatedly compromised during the last year. So far it appears that no damage was done and that the hackers "have just been looking around."

While there are no official statements just yet, several sources familiar with whole matter have explained to the WSJ that a probe into the mess was "initiated by the Secret Service and now includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation." Yes, that means this is serious business. After all, access to the NASDAQ's computer network could allow someone to commit all sorts of crimes ranging from simple trading fraud to things that could shake up national security.

The extra cherry on this particular situation's bad news sundae is that no one really seems to know what motives the hackers involved had. Without that knowledge investigators will have a rough time figuring out what has been compromised, whether they've managed to fix all potential security holes, and whether some genuine damage has already occurred quietly. [WSJ]